by Carrie Carr
He sat on the end of the sofa and turned to face Amanda. "She told me that a baby wasn't in her plans, and she'd hired a private investigator to find me." He sighed. "Ramona finally agreed to marry me about six months ago. But neither one of us wants kids."
"I don't think you have much of a choice, now."
"Well, see, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you and Lex about."
Amanda frowned and started to shake her head. "You're not talking about--"
He quickly interrupted her. "Look. You know as well as I do, that I'm the last person who should be a father. Hell, I'm almost fifty years old." He stood and started to pace. "I was going to drop him off at the nearest fire station, but I just couldn't do it. It's not his fault that his father is a worthless piece of shit. He shouldn't suffer just because of me."
"But, maybe," Amanda got to her feet, "maybe you and Ramona would be good parents, together. She's obviously made you a better man."
"No. We've already discussed kids. Ramona's a recovering alcoholic, and well, you know what I'm capable of." Hubert pointed to his son. "Eddie deserves a much better life than what I could give him. Would you and Lex consider adopting him?"
Struck mute, Amanda could only stare at Hubert. The sound of the back door opening broke her from her trance. "Looks like you're about to find out."
AFTER SEEING THE old pickup truck in the front drive, Lex parked beside the house and hurried inside. She only had a moment to wonder why Amanda hadn't called about their unexpected guest, when she heard voices in the den. She stepped around the doorway and stopped in surprise. "What's going on here?"
Amanda turned and gave her a welcoming smile. "Hi, honey. I'm really glad you're back."
Lex took a moment to try and reconcile the friendly greeting, especially since Amanda was standing so close to Lex's estranged brother. "Um, yeah. Roy and the guys got the truck loaded with no problems, so our first shipment of cattle is on the way to Houston."
"That's great." Amanda moved around the furniture and walked toward Lex. "Believe it or not, Hubert's asked us for some help." She moved the baby toward Lex. "Meet your nephew, Eddie."
"My what?" Lex looked down at the peaceful infant. She automatically took Eddie when Amanda handed him to her. "Uh--"
Hubert joined the women near the fireplace. "Like I was telling Amanda, this little guy should have a good life."
Lex looked at the baby, who, other than the lighter eyes, was the spitting image of both Hubert's and her baby pictures. "And what does that have to do with us?"
"Look. I found out about this baby yesterday, and his mother's no longer in the picture. I'm not parenting material. I'm sure you'd be the first to agree. And I tried to give him up, but I just couldn't." Hubert cleared his throat when his emotions started to get away from him. "He's a Walters, Lex. And I know, more than I've known anything in my life, that you and Amanda could give him the kind of home he deserves. Would you please, raise my son as your own?"
Amanda watched as Lex stared at Hubert for a long moment. She couldn't read the look in her wife's eyes, and she held her breath as the only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the fire. She knew what her own answer would be, but she didn't want to influence Lex in any way.
"Let me get this straight. You got a baby dumped on you, and now you want to dump him off on us? What's to keep you from taking him back when he's older?"
"I'll sign whatever you want. Give up all rights. Hell, I'll even promise to never step foot in Texas again, if that's what you want. You name your price, and I'll do whatever I can to pay it." Hubert stared into his sister's face. "I know I'm the last person in the world who should ever ask a favor of you, Lex. And, believe it or not, I've changed." He glanced at Amanda with a quick smile. "Love can do that to a person. You of all people should know that."
Lex nodded. "Yeah, I do. But, are you really sure about this? Because, if we take Eddie, he will be our son. And we'll raise him with our values." She remembered all too well how hateful Hubert had been in the past about her sexuality.
"If he turns out half as well as you, then I think he'll grow into a good man." He grinned at her. "We both know you'll be a lot better father than me."
"True," Lex quipped. She met Amanda's gaze. "Well, sweetheart? I know this is kind of sudden, but what do you think?"
Amanda moved to stand beside Lex. She put her arm around her waist and exhaled heavily. "Hubert, if you're really serious about this, I think I'd better make a call to our lawyer."
"Whatever it takes. Um, can I hold him for a little while, Lex?" He swallowed hard as Lex placed Eddie into his hands. "Thanks."
Lex pointed toward the sofa. "Why don't you have a seat, while we go to the office and make that call? We'll be back in a few minutes." She guided Amanda out of the den, giving Hubert a chance to tell his son goodbye in private.
SLEET PELLETS HIT the roof, as Lex and Hubert stood on the front porch. Both looked out at the weather, neither knowing what to say.
"Guess this will help the drought, huh?" Hubert asked. "That's all we've heard about on the news at home."
"It's a start." Lex cleared her throat. "There's a lot of bad blood between us."
"Yeah."
"When I first saw you today, I wanted to smash your face in," Lex admitted. "You gave me such hell my entire life, and all I could think of was, 'what the hell is he up to?'"
Hubert was unable to meet her eyes. "I wouldn't have blamed you."
In a sudden fit of anger, Lex slammed her hand on the rail. "Goddamn it, Hubert! Why did you hate me so much?"
"You really don't know, do you? You were always the favorite, from the moment you were born. Do you have any idea how shitty it was, being told by our old man, 'you should be more like your sister'?" He walked to the edge of the porch and glanced toward Martha's home. "Our grandparents always liked you more, Mom thought you walked on water. Even our little brother worshipped the ground you walked on."
"I never tried--"
He spun around. "I know. And that's what made it worse. You were always so fucking perfect, Lex. You followed in the old man's footsteps, something I could never do. It wasn't my fault I was allergic to animals, was it? Hell, no!" Hubert stopped his rant and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Sorry."
"At least you had a choice."
"What?"
Lex leaned against the rail and crossed her arms. "Since you couldn't take over the ranch, Dad groomed me for the role. But I never wanted it."
"You're shitting me."
Her laugh was short and bitter. "Nope. I had planned on going to college and getting away from here. But he was bound and determined to make sure this place stayed in the family. It took a few beatings, but I finally got the message."
Hubert's shock was evident. "He hit you too?"
"Yeah." Lex cocked her head and frowned. "What do you mean, too?"
"Hell, Lex. I don't think a week went by when that old bastard didn't lay into me for something. But I had no idea he worked you over." He moved closer and looked into her eyes. "Then I did, too." Tears of regret misted in his eyes. "I'm so damned sorry."
Lex swallowed heavily. "Me, too." She could sense his discomfort. "He played us against each other, Hube. And I'm tired of hating."
"So am I." Hubert took his hands out of his pockets and took a shaky breath. "I know we can't forget all the bullshit and nastiness. I won't ask you to. And what I did to you and Amanda was unforgivable. If I could take it back, or take back the pain I put you both through, I would." He nervously scratched at his beard. "I hope you believe that."
They stared at each other, the only sound was the sleet hitting the house and the ground. Lex looked into his eyes and for the first time, felt like she could see directly into his soul. "I believe you. Thanks, Hubert." She had her hands tucked under her arms, while he zipped his coat. "Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Lex asked.
"Nah. I need to get back home. Ramona will be back either today or tom
orrow. Just overnight the paperwork, and I'll get it back to you as soon as I can." In a surprise move, Hubert put his arms around Lex. "Thank you, Lex. I know this wasn't easy, but it felt good to clear the air."
Lex returned the embrace. "I think we've both grown up in the last few years." She cleared her throat and stepped back. "Don't be a stranger, big brother. And be expecting a Christmas card from us this year, okay?"
He laughed, then sobered. "I don't know how to thank you and Amanda. After everything I've done, you still bailed me out."
"Well, it wasn't completely unselfish. We've talked about having another baby, so I think I should thank you. Because as much as I love my kids and my wife, I really didn't want to go through another pregnancy with Amanda."
"She have a rough time of it?"
Lex's smirk widened into a full smile. "She didn't, but I did. I was a total wreck the entire time."
Hubert chucked her on the shoulder. "Well, I'm glad I was able to help." Their eyes locked for a silent moment. "Don't let him turn out like his old man, Lex."
She nodded in understanding. "Drive safely, Hubert. You've got my number if you need anything."
"Yeah." He flicked a finger away from his forehead in salute. "Take care, little sister."
Lex watched Hubert's truck disappear before she went into the house. She shook her head as she closed the door. "Unbelievable."
Amanda, holding Eddie, met her in the hall. "Are you okay?"
"Sure. It's a lot to take in though, isn't it?" Lex lightly wiped her hand over the dark fuzz on Eddie's head. "He seems to be a good baby." She walked alongside Amanda, as they headed toward the stairs.
"I know. Do you remember how fussy Melanie was at this age? He's the complete opposite." Amanda suddenly stopped. "What are we going to tell the girls?"
Lex put her arm around Amanda's waist. "I guess it's too early to tell them Santa brought him, huh?" She grunted as a well-placed elbow hit her in the stomach. "Um, well. It's not like we have a cabbage patch to find him in."
"Lexington--"
"Okay, okay. How about the truth? We were planning on having another baby, and Eddie's natural parents were unable to take care of him, so we adopted him?" Lex rubbed her stomach as they made it up the stairs. "But I still like the idea of Santa bringing him."
"You're asking for it, Lexington Marie Walters." Amanda tried to keep the smile off her face. "And since you're so frisky, you can dig around in the storage building for the crib. But don't you dare try to bring it into the house by yourself." She crossed the threshold to their bedroom and placed the sleeping infant on their bed.
Lex kissed Eddie on the forehead, then kissed Amanda lightly on the lips. "Yes, dear. And how will the crib make it into the house?"
"I'm sure one of the guys will be more than happy to help. We'll set it up in our room for now, until we can figure out what to do." Amanda frowned. "I know we can convert the guest room across from Lorrie's, but I hate having him so far away from us."
"We'll figure something out," Lex said. "I'll be back soon."
Once Lex left, Amanda sat on the bed beside Eddie. "Your new sisters will go crazy over you, little man. Not to mention all the grandparents you're going to meet." She picked up the phone beside the bed and hit the speed dial. "Hello, Martha? Are you and Charlie very busy? No, everything's fine. But there's something we'd like to show you, if you have the time."
Chapter Thirteen
MARTHA AND CHARLIE met Chet as he was coming through the back door of the house. He tipped his baseball cap at Martha. "Afternoon, Mrs. Bristol. Charlie. Isn't it something?"
"What in the Sam-hill are you talking about, Chet?" Martha asked, as she removed the damp scarf from her head.
"Uh, nothing, ma'am." He grinned and jogged down the steps, hurrying out of the sleet to his truck.
Martha shared a glance with her husband as they stepped into the house. "I wonder what Lexie and Amanda did this time?"
"What makes you think they did anything?" Charlie took her coat and hung it on the hook, followed by his own. He peeked into the kitchen, finding it empty.
"Because, we don't usually see any of the hands here at the house, unless something's going on." She followed Charlie to the den. "Where in the world are they?"
A thump from upstairs answered her. Charlie walked calmly behind Martha, as she continued to mumble under her breath. It wasn't long before they were both upstairs, and could hear voices coming from the master bedroom. "Maybe Lex's back was giving her trouble, and they needed help getting her up here," he mused.
Martha crossed the threshold and stopped, causing Charlie to run into her back. "Amanda? What on earth is that?"
Amanda sat on the bed, cradling an infant in her arms. The baby suckled enthusiastically on the bottle she held, oblivious to the newcomers.
"After all this time, you don't know?" Lex teased from the corner of the bedroom, where she was putting the finishing touches on a crib. "For shame, Martha." She slowly stretched, fighting back a moan at the twinge in her back.
"I can always go downstairs for a spoon to tan your backside, you know," Martha said. She joined Amanda and looked at the baby. "Honey, where did this little tyke come from? I know I'm not going to get a straight answer from that one over there."
Lex stood next to them. "You probably won't believe us if we tell you." She flinched as Martha backhanded her in the stomach. "Ow!"
"Brat." Martha sat beside Amanda. "Now start talking, Lexie. And no smart aleck remarks, either."
"Yes, ma'am." Lex looked at Amanda, who shrugged. "Long story short, he's Hubert's, and we're going to adopt him."
"What?" both Charlie and Martha exclaimed, which caused Eddie to stop sucking on the bottle and let out a cry.
Amanda patted his bottom and put the nipple back in his mouth, to settle him down. "Ssh. It's okay, sweetie. Mada and Grandpa Charlie didn't mean to scare you."
Martha stood, grabbed Lex by the ear, and tugged. Hard. "You'd better start explaining everything, right now."
"Ow, ow. Okay, let go." Lex tipped her head to keep her ear from being torn off. Once Martha released her, she rubbed her earlobe. "Hubert showed up this morning. He told us that the mother basically dumped the baby with him and left. He knew he wouldn't be able to raise him, so he brought him to us."
"And you believed him?" Martha's face showed her skepticism.
Amanda saw Lex's face flush, and decided to jump in. "We both believed him, Martha. You wouldn't have recognized him. He's really settled down and become a different man."
"A snake doesn't change. And that man's always been pure evil. For all you know, he stole that baby, and is setting you up for a kidnapping charge!"
Charlie put his arm around Martha in an attempt to calm her. "Let them finish, hon."
"Thanks, Charlie." Lex sat next to Amanda and picked up an envelope that was on the nightstand. "Here's Eddie's birth certificate, showing Hubert as the father. And, if you looked at the baby, you'd see how much he favors him."
Martha accepted the envelope and removed the paper from inside, while Charlie observed over her shoulder. "Edward Lee Walters. Well, I'll be damned." She handed it to Lex, who put it in the top drawer. "And he just gave you his baby, out of the goodness of his heart? I'm sorry, Lexie. But I can't just forget everything Hubert has done to you in the past. There's got to be a catch. He's always had it in for you."
"We asked him about that." Amanda noticed Eddie had stopped sucking, and removed the bottle. When Lex took the towel from her shoulder, she smiled and handed Lex the baby to burp.
Lex lifted Eddie to her shoulder and gently patted his back. "He not only apologized, but genuinely seemed remorseful. Did you know that when I was born, Dad basically ignored Hubert? The only thing he ever did was yell at him for not doing anything right at the ranch. Hubert was not only afraid of horses, but the smell of the animals and feed made him physically ill. He found out later it was an allergic reaction. When he was twelve, Dad told him he was
going to leave me in charge of the ranch as soon as I was old enough."
"My lord. What a horrible way to treat a child," Martha whispered. "No wonder he hated you so much."
"Yeah." Lex kissed Eddie's head after he released a mighty belch. "I can't imagine ever being disappointed in any of our kids, no matter what. Ranching is a hard life, and isn't for everyone. If they decided they didn't want to work here, I'd never hold it against them."
Martha caressed Lex's cheek. "I know that, honey. That's probably why Hubert knew his son would be safe with the two of you." She held out her hands. "Now hand me my grandson. I think I've been quite patient, up 'til now."
Charlie watched as his wife cooed at the baby. "I can't wait to see how you explain him to the girls."
Lex laughed. "I want to tell them he's a present from Santa, but Amanda won't let me." She dodged as Amanda tried to pinch her. "Watch it, woman."
"We've got all night and tomorrow to think of something. I called my grandparents, and they're going to pick the girls up at school and keep them tonight. With the way the sleet is coming down, I don't want them riding the bus home. And I wasn't about to let Lex drive all the way into town."
"I can drive just fine," Lex grumbled.
"Don't pay any attention to that lunkhead," Martha told the baby. She gasped when he opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Oh, you're going to charm everyone with that smile, handsome." She raised her head and grinned at Lex. "He sure favors you, Lexie."
"Yeah. For once I'm grateful that Hubert and I look so much alike." She couldn't help but smirk. "Although his hair is completely gray, and so's his beard."
Martha cradled Eddie with one hand, while she used the other to tug on Lex's hair. "Well, he does have seven years on you. At least you've got something to look forward to."
"Hey!" Lex glared at her.
Amanda patted Lex's thigh. "Don't worry, honey. I'm sure you won't be totally white-headed. Did you notice that little bald spot on the back of Hubert's head?"
